This invention relates to a mode switching mechanism for a cassette tape recorder, and more particularly a mode switching mechanism which changes one mode to another by sliding an operation member from neutral position in either of opposite directions.
Recently various cassette tape recorders have been provided, which use a tape cassette having a surface area about one-fourth the surface area of a known tape cassette. They are now increasingly used at conference or meeting to take the place of memo pads. Such a cassette tape recorder should be small, light and easy to operate by a single hand. Most known cassette tape recorder of this type have three buttons arranged in a row, i.e. a stop button, a play button and a record button. The user selectively pushes these buttons to select stop mode, record mode or play mode. The mode switching mechansim to achieve such a mode selection, however, is complicated, and the mode switching is relatively intricate.
To lessen the intricacy of mode switching, there has been invented a mode switching mechanism with a single operation member which is kept at neutral position and slid from the neutral position in either of opposite directions. The operation member includes an operation button and is set at the neutral position to select stop mode and slid from the neutral position in either direction to select play mode or record mode. Whenever the operation member is slid in either direction, a magnetic head and a pinch roller must be put into contact with a magnetic tape. To put the magnetic head and pinch roller unfailingly in this manner, a rockable switching lever is provided between the operation member and a support lever which supports both the head and the pinch roller. The switching lever is rocked to move the support lever to the magnetic tape when the operation member is slid in either direction. More specifically, the switching lever is pushed by one of two contact strips secured to the operation member to rock in the direction in which the operation button is slid. To slide the operation button with a small force, utilizing the principle of lever, the points where the switching lever contacts either contact strip must be fully spaced from the fulcrum of the switching lever. In other words, both contact strips should be located as far as possible from the fulcrum of the switching lever. As a result, the the operation member including the operation button and the contact strips will become large, making it difficult to miniaturize the cassette tape recorder.